Solar innovation is transforming economies at scale. This is self-evident as oil, coal, and gas are finite resources. Without energy, commerce ceases to exist. Without the large-scale adoption of solar and other renewable energy sources, once-powerful economies will reach a point of stagnation.

Solar Software is accelerating solar installation and expanding adoption. Derek Mitchell, founder and creator of SolarDesignTool, set out to revolutionize solar integration. Derek and his partner, Michael Palmguist, received a SunShot Initiative grant for their company, Solar Nexus, with the aim of tackling the soft costs associated with solar installation. They used the grant to develop the industry’s first integrated software system aimed at reducing administrative time to sell and manage projects.

While utility-scale solar and residential rooftop solar have experienced explosive growth in the past five years, the market for solar on commercial buildings has been much slower to take off. The US Department of Energy is working with innovative entrepreneurs to spur growth in this sector. As more solar installers begin targeting the commercial sector, a more pragmatic problem-solving approach is needed to gain the trust of commercial customers.

To lead innovation in clean energy, competition amongst renewables companies is not the solution. Lasting success in solar overhauls the energy infrastructure, decelerates the rate of fossil fuel depletion, and creates technology that sets the standard for large-scale utility initiatives. The future of energy infrastructure is through collaboration.

Last week, Boviet Solar USA was granted Tier 1 status by the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation. We sat down with John Bereckis, the President of the Modules Division of Boviet Solar USA, to learn what the Tier 1 designation means for Boviet and its partners.

As solar energy booms— over one million solar installations are already connected to the grid, and two million are expected by 2018— the energy industry faces the unique challenge of integrating and optimizing solar energy into the electricity grid (energy.gov). With such a challenge comes the need for collaboration between solar and the nation’s over 3,000 electric utility companies.

When people think of clean technology, there’s often an assumption of tension between renewable energy and oil/gas, meaning that the two are competing with each other for market share. In some ways, this perception of competition is real: economic forces are driving down the costs of renewable energy, which directly cut into fossil fuel profits.

Advanced technology has given rise to a new role for monitoring software. In the world of the Internet of Things, for instance, innovative startups like Hologram are combining the security benefits of using software and hardware to build a defense layer against cyber-attackers.

Supply chain visibility is an absolute must for companies in the infrastructure space. As solar panel manufacturing becomes disparate—especially when production capabilities are global—risk and failure rates arise.

One of the wonderful benefits about leading the solar energy industry is creating job growth. Solar doesn’t just deliver clean, affordable renewable energy—it’s a dynamic and rapidly growing ecosystem that improves lives by providing meaningful, well-paying jobs and high-skilled careers.

The solar energy industry isn’t the struggling newcomer it used to be.

As the solar industry grows and serves more and more electricity consumers, its impact on and integration into existing grids and systems renders it a key part of our electricity-generation-and-distribution system.

By 2050, solar will be a major source of the world’s power, according to research from MIT and the Institute for Research and Technology (ITT) at Comillas University in Spain. But the same research pointed out that energy grids worldwide are not prepared for the future of solar energy.

For the first time in history, solar as a business model has set a record for being cost effective. The market opportunity is significant as solar has demonstrated returns on ROI in multiple markets around the world. Solar could soon become the least expensive power on earth.

Observers of the clean-energy industry note coming changes or already occurring changes under the new Trump administration. The availability of federal resources in support of clean-energy technology and projects may be impacted.

The solar industry has reached a never-before-seen point of maturation, while continuing to evolve at an accelerated pace. The need for resource-sharing, and open dialogue is more important than ever before.